Flavio Briatore Success Story

Profile

Flavio is associated with the Formula 1 and the Benetton chain of stores.

Childhood

Flavio Briatore was born on 12th April 1920 in Verzulo, Italy. He was raised in a family of elementary school teachers. He did his schooling from the Fassino di Busca High School.

Early Career

Flavio worked as a land surveyor and a ski instructor. He was a manager at a restaurant. Flavio’s first business venture was a restaurant called “Tribula”. It closed down due to losses. He worked as an insurance salesman. In 1970, he moved to Milan to work with the stock exchange. Flavio shifted to Cuneo, where he was assistant to Attilio Dutto, the owner of Paramatti Vercini.

Highlights

Flavio joined the company Benetton in 1974. He made significant profit as a part of the franchise expansion plan. In 1989, Briatore took the reins of F1 from Benetton owner and his friend, Luciano. With his superior vision, Briatore got the star F1 racer Michael Schumacher on board, who consistently won races. In 2001, Flavio got the promising Fernando Alonso to spearhead his team. In 2007, Flavio became the co-owner of the English Football Club the “Queens Park Rangers”.

Personal Life

Briatore is famous for is 'playboy' image. He has dated countless models. In 2008, Flavio got married to the “Wonderbra” model Elisabetta Gregoraci. They have a son named Nathan, and Flavio is also the biological father of Heidi Klum’s daughter Leni. Briatore successfully recovered from kidney cancer in 2006.